Album Review: ZUD – “The Good, The Bad And The Damned”

With Zud’s first studio album; America continues to shake up the black metal genre even further, really pushing the boundaries and in the process causing possible moments of discomfort. But to be perfectly honest, Zud’s brand of black n’ roll is quite catchy and still exhibits many of the root qualities of black metal; whether you want to believe it or not. “Skull Shaped Hell” brings the black metal influence full force with traditional scowls and a proto black sound that reminds me quite a bit of early Bathory; but these guys also like to swing their axes around so you’ll hear plenty of shredding in accompaniment to what can at times be a very raw and ferocious release. Yes, there are a few jam-out sessions and sometimes things take a backflip right into acoustic rock; but for the most part it’s a memorable performance that is loaded with about fifty pounds of memorable rock solos. Zud will not only appeal to scathing black metal minions, but they’ll also appeal to fans of traditional metal and even classic rock. The idea behind the band seemed to be one that mixed the glory of classic rock with the malice of black metal and that style has been emulated here quite nicely. If you like black n’ roll, but are tired of hearing what are basically rock bands with black metal vocals; then these guys will definitely give you that raw black metal sound that you’ve been craving… with enough guitar orgasms to make it worth your while. (Eric May)